ARTS & ARCHITECTURE
346
Lacquerware
The earliest lacquerware found in Myanmar can be dated to the 11th
century and sported a very Chinese style. The techniques used today are
known asyun, the old Bamar word for the people of Chiang Mai, from
where the techniques were imported in the 16th century (along with some
captured artisans) by King Bayinnaung. An older style of applying gold or
silver to a black background dates back to, perhaps, the Pyay era (5th to
9th centuries) and is kept alive by artisans in Kyaukka, near Monywa.
Many lacquerware shops include workshops, where you can see the
long-winded process involved in making the bowls, trays and other ob-
jects. The craftsperson fi rst weaves a frame (the best-quality wares have a
bamboo frame tied together with horse or donkey hairs; lesser pieces are
made wholly from bamboo). The lacquer is then coated over the frame-
work and allowed to dry. After several days it is sanded down with ash
from rice husks and another coating of lacquer is applied. A high-quality
item may have seven to 15 layers altogether.
The lacquerware is engraved and painted, then polished to remove the
paint from everywhere except from within the engravings. Multicoloured
lacquerware is produced by repeated engraving, painting and polishing.
From start to fi nish it can take up to fi ve or six months to produce a high-
quality piece of lacquerware, which may have as many as fi ve colours. A
top-quality bowl can have its rim squeezed together until the sides meet
without suff ering any damage or permanent distortion.Tapestries & Tex tiles
Tapestries (kalaga) consist of pieces of coloured cloth of various sizes
heavily embroidered with silver- or gold-coloured thread, metal sequins
and glass beads, and feature mythological Myanmar fi gures in padded
relief. The greatest variety is found in Mandalay, where most tapestries
are produced.
Good-quality kalagaa are tightly woven and don’t skimp on sequins,
which may be sewn in overlapping lines, rather than spaced side by side,
as a sign of embroidery skill. The metals used should shine, even in older
pieces; tarnishing means lower-quality materials.AUNG SOE MIN, YANGON GALLERY OWNERIs art in Myanmar diff erent from elsewhere? Myanmar artists are still infl uenced by
traditional art. A main part of Burmese art is surrealistic ideas that have existed since a
long time ago. And because of the colours in Burma, the art has bright colours. Burmese
art has a lot of potential because we’ve been closed for a long time.
How would you describe the art scene in Yangon? There’s no national art museum in
Burma yet. But you can see works by famous artists such as U B Nyan and U Ngwe Gaing
at the National Museum. There are also private galleries, such as Baikthano Gallery.
Can artists survive only doing art, or do they have to take other jobs as well?
Most artists can survive on their paintings, but many also do illustration and design for
books, magazines and advertisements. Artists in other cities can depend on tourists to
buy art, but here we have to depend on locals.
Are Myanmar artists exposed to much international art? Until 1962, artists in Myan-
mar were in touch with the outside. But now we’ve been closed for a long time. But since
about 2003 we can see anything on the internet.
Does art ever get political in Myanmar? Yes, a lot. People everywhere are always try-
ing to express themselves and they don’t care about the risk.
Myanmar is a poor country; people have to worry about food, health, etc. When
you consider this, is art really important? Every human likes some sort of art. Even
very poor people buy paintings from the street or frame ads or calendars at home.Burmese Crafts:
Past and Present
by Sylvia Fraser-
Lu details the
foundations
of Myanmar’s
artistic traditions
and catalogues
the major crafts
from metalwork
to umbrella
making.Lacquer-
ware
centres» (^) Kyaukka, near
Monywa
» (^) Myinkaba,
Bagan
» (^) New Bagan
(Bagan Myothit),
Bagan